The invention relates to a process for recovering a fluid dissolved in a rinsing bath.
In European Patent Application 92 113 503 there is described a bath comprising glycol ethers for cleaning printed circuit boards which are to be freed of soldering fluxes and/or flux residues. The printed circuit boards are immersed in the glycol ether bath whose cleaning effect can be enhanced by means of ultrasound. The bath is kept at a temperature from approximately 40.degree. to 50.degree. C.
After cleaning, the printed boards are immersed in a second container, in which they are freed of the glycol ethers by means of rinsing water. Owing to the carry-over of glycol ethers into the rinsing water bath in the second container, the concentration of the glycol ethers in the second container gradually increases.
After the rinsing process, the printed boards in the second container can be introduced into a third water container for further cleaning and subsequently be dried in an air stream, preferably in a heated air stream.
The object of this invention is to provide a process for universal use which makes it possible to recover and recycle, in closed circulation, relatively large amounts of fluids carried over into a rinsing bath, even though the fluid is soluble in the rinsing bath.